TIL I was torquing lug nuts in the wrong order for 10 years

My buddy (works at a shop in Chicago) watched me doing the star pattern in a rush last Saturday and pointed out I was basically tightening them in a circle by accident, so I looked it up and yeah, idk how I missed that in my training.

2 comments

2 Comments

wright.kevin6h ago

Nah I actually think the circle method works fine for most modern cars. The whole star pattern thing is more of a tire shop myth that's been passed around forever. Unless you're running a high performance track setup or something, the torque difference between a circle and star pattern is basically nothing on a normal sedan.

williams906h ago

wright.kevin I actually had the exact same thought until I warped a rotor on my old Accord by tightening in a circle. The issue isn't really about torque numbers, it's about seating the wheel evenly so you don't put uneven stress on the rotor or hub. Most modern cars are fine sure, but if you ever have to swap a tire on the side of the road or get a wheel off later without a breaker bar, the star pattern saves you a headache.